Kolo Toure endured a miserable nine-match tenure as Latics boss in 2022/23placeholder image
Kolo Toure endured a miserable nine-match tenure as Latics boss in 2022/23
Former Wigan Athletic manager Kolo Toure has been appointed to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City backroom staff on a permanent basis.
The 44-year-old performed the role of assistant first-team coach during this summer's Club World Cup campaign in the United States , and City have confirmed he is to remain in place on a full-time basis.
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Director of Football Hugo Viana said: "We're delighted to permanently add Kolo to our first-team coaching staff. Not only does he bring his immensely precious experience at football's elite level, but he also has a deep connection with Manchester City and a deep knowledge of the club.
"We've also been hugely impressed with his work and success with our Under-18s, and by adding him into our senior staff permanently, this will only strengthen the transition for players in our academy into the first team.
"As we already saw throughout his time with Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders and James French this summer, his massive personality of optimism and positivity is hugely infectious and we're already looking forward to his work moving forward."
Former Ivory Coast international Toure, who won the Premier League with both City and previous club Arsenal, worked under lead coach Oliver Reiss last season as they guided the club's Under-18s to the Premier League North title and saw their side lose both the national final and the FA Youth Cup final to Aston Villa.
He had previously coached with the Ivory Coast national squad and was part of Brendan Rodgers' staff at Celtic and Leicester before a brief spell in charge in his own right at Wigan, who failed to win any of their nine matches under his control.
Speaking ahead of the recent Club World Cup, City boss Guardiola had spoken of his belief that Toure would ‘help us make a good season’ next term.
He said: “It’s a good opportunity for Pep [Lijnders] and James [French]...Kolo Toure was already with the Under-18s and we saw him working with the academy with us and had an incredible reference. They will help us make a good season.
“I’m fortunate, the assistant managers I had in my career, Barcelona, Bayern, and here I’ve had a lot, wow everyone helped me incredibly.
“I’m pretty sure Kolo and Pep will help me. It’s a question of back and forth, his knowledge, I dream from his knowledge.
“And every day since we met, we talk a lot about tactics, football, training and it’s been so inspiring for me. I’m really pleased for that, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Back in April, Toure admitted his ‘connection’ to City made the decision to go back and work with the club’s youngsters an easy one.
"I was looking to get back into a job and when the opportunity came, it was fantastic," Toure told the Manchester Evening News. "Especially working for the club I played for, I had a great time playing here.
"My connection to Manchester City has always been there because I worked with the loan players for a moment. When the opportunity came I was very happy, it's very important for me to stay in the game."